Thomas a



T A DAVIES RAILROAD FISH PLATE.

Patented May 7, 1889. I

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UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. DAVIES, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

RAILROAD FISH-PLATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 402,725, dated May 7', 1889.

Application filed June 28, 1888. Serial No. 278,402, (No'modeL) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. DAVIES, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Railroad Fish- Plate, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in fish-plates, and has for its object to provide a plate of simple and economical construction, which will be effectually held in essentially rigid contact with the rail, both laterally and vertically.

The invention consists in the construction of the plates and in the combination of said plates with an inserted table and wedge.

It also consists in the construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointedout in the claims.

Reference is to be had'to the accompanying drawings, forming-a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the plates applied to a rail, taken on line :0 a: of Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

In carrying out the invention the under surface of the head A of the rail is preferably provided with a straight horizontal face, a, the web and flange being of the ordinary construction. The several plates, B, are of that character known as strap-plates, and are of a height less than the space intervening the head and flange of the rail.

The head of the plates 13 is made to correspond with the head-surface a of the rail, and upon the inner face of said plates, at top and bottom, a longitudinal rib, b b, is respectively produced, adapted to engage the web of the rail and constitute spaced web-bearings. The outer surface of the plates is straight and flat, except at the base, at which point a longitudinal angled lip, b is formed by carrying the metal horizontally outward and vertically downward to within a suitable distance of the flange of the rail, as best shown in Fig. 1. In order to hold the plates tightly against the rail-head, a key, D, and a table, D, are provided, both being constructed of metal.

The under face, (I, of the table D is beveled from the inner side outward to correspond to the bevel of the upper face of the rail-flange at each side of the web, and the upper face of said table is provided with a gradual taper extending from end to end.

The upper face of the key D is straight, being adapted to engage the under surface of the plates, and the lower face of said key is tapered from end to end, the taper being made to correspond with the taper of the table.

In operation the plates are placed in proper position-thatis, in engagement with the head and web of the railand the bolts E are passed through said plates and ihe web of the rail and secured in any suitable or approved manner. The tables D are now slid upon the flange of the rail, between the web thereof and the lip 19 of the plate, the inner face of which lip engages the outer face of the table, retaining the same in a-fixed position. The inner longitudinal edge of the table does not quite bear against the web, and the tables are so placed that the upper faces will taper in opposite directions. The keys D, which act as a wedge, are now inserted between the table and the base of the plate and driven home, or to a snug bearing against said tables and plates, as best illustrated in Fig. 1. By this means the head of the plate is forced to a firm connection with the head of the rail, and vertical play of the plates effectually prevented.

It will be observed that in cross-section the top of the key D and the base of the rail are parallel; likewise the horizontal under face of the plates and the base of the rail-flange.

I desire it distinctly understood that I do I not confine myself to any particular form of nut and bolt. The web-bearing of the fishplates may, if desired, be continuous, and the head of the plates and the under face of the said head, instead of being straight or parallel with the base of the rail, may be otherwise formed-as, for instance, the said surface may be beveled; but the construction set forth is preferred.

I also desire it distinctly understood that wherever the term fish-plate is employed I refer to the body of the plate, or that portion contained between the head and base of the plate, exclusive of the lip b as the said lip,

while illustrated as an integral portion of the plate, may be omitted or made of greater or less length than shown.

I also desire it to be understood that the contiguous faces of the table and key may be cylindrical in addition to being tapering, or flat and tapering, as desired, but preferably the former, as is also illustrated in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A fish-plate consisting of a vertical body having a straight horizontally-parallel top and bottom surface, and provided with a longitu dinal web-bearing upon the inner face at top and bottom, and a downwardly-extendinglip integral with the outer face at the base, sub stantially as shown and described.

2. A fish-plate, substantially as shown and described, consisting of a vertical body of less height than the space intervening between a rail head and flange, having integral head and web bearings, and provided with a lip exten ding downward from the outer face at the base, as set forth.

A fish-plate consisting of a vertical body of less height than the Web of a rail, having an essentially straight horizontal parallel top and bottom, substantially as set forth.

4. A fish-plate consisting of a vertical body of less height than the web of the rail, having a web-bearin g, a straight horizontal head-bearing, and a base parallel with said head-bearing, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with a fish-plate consisting of a body of less height than the space intervening between a rail head and flange, having integral head and web bearings, and a lip extending downwardly from the outer face at the base, of a table provided with a lower face adapted to the incline of the railflange and a longitudinally-tapered upper face, and a key having a straight upper face and a longitudinally-tapered under face, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination, with a rail having the under surface of the head essentially parallel with the base of the flange, a fish-plate of less height than the web, provided with an upper and lower surface essentially parallel with the base of the rail, and a lip extending downward from the outer face of the plate at the base, of a table resting upon the rail-flange and having a tapering upper face, and a key provided with a straight upper face and a tapering lower face, substantially as shown and described.

7 The combination, with a rail having the under surface of the head essentially parallel with the base of the flange, and a fish-plate of less height than the web, provided with an upper and a lower surface essentially parallel with the base of the rail, of a table resting upon the rail-flange having a tapering upper face, and a key provided with a straight upper face and a tapering lower face, substantially as shown and described.

THOS. A. DAVIES.

lVitnesses:

J. T. ACKER, J 1:, G. SEDGWICK. 

